


Moving In

by deathwailart



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, Fluff, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 17:11:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3455213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathwailart/pseuds/deathwailart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merrill finally moves the last of her things into Luce Hawke's estate and Luce might be planning a party to celebrate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving In

Her clan could have fitted quite comfortably in Luce's front room, Merrill thinks as she shoulders her pack with the last few things she hadn't packed with Luce, Isabela and Varric's help, the plush carpet soft beneath her bare toes. After a life outdoors and then her leaking little hovel that always caught the wind no matter how many rags she stuffed into every nook and cranny, the stone walls and the roaring fire have her loosening the scarf around her throat as she peers around. It's not the first time she's been to Luce's home but knowing that she's going to be living here, it sends a thrill through her as she spins in a circle, taking it all in. It looks like a lot of the homes she's been inside in Hightown when they've been dealing with whatever evil and terrible things Kirkwall spits out but it's different, not just because it's daylight. Or because there aren't strange gangs or demons and other creatures from the Fade attacking them. This is Luce's home, all hers, every last inch, paid with from that terrible Deep Roads expedition. And now it's hers too.  
  
She's not leaving the Alienage completely though, there's still the eluvian and she can't abandon anymore than she can bring it here. Luce will understand she's sure.  
  
"Is that the last of it then?"  
  
Luce's voice startles her enough that she almost drops her bag, clutching it tight as the other woman hurries down the stairs, clad in that short red robe she wears in the house and Merrill finds herself distracted as ever by the sight of all that bare brown skin at her thighs. But she smiles, petting the great huge (and stinky) hound that gallops down ahead of his mistress to flop down, backside high in the air, stump of a tail wagging with those giant feet planted flat on the floor until Merrill bends to scratch him behind his ears.  
  
"Oh what a ferocious terrible thing you are," she says when he rolls onto his side, one back leg kicking out and his tongue lolling. "Lucky for you, demons don't tickle. Not that I'm aware of, it'd be an awfully strange sort of demon that went around tickling folk, don't you think?"  
  
"It'd have to be a native Kirkwall tickle demon," Luce agrees and Merrill giggles, accepting the kiss when it comes, Luce leaning over to take her bag from her. "I've given Bodahn, Sandal and Orana the day off, they did plenty during the big move with all the rest of us and I thought it'd be nice to have your first real day in the house without everyone else lurking. I wish-" She cuts herself off, petting the dog with her foot as he rolls over again onto his back.  
  
"Your mother…and Bethany," Merrill guesses, squeezing Luce's hand when she nods. "I'm sure they'd be happy for us, or I think they would, and Bethany's always very good, maybe one day she could come? They let the mages out sometimes there, don't they? And you're a noble now, it could…" She trails off, knowing that her rambling is probably only going to do more harm than good but Luce just smiles and starts to lead her upstairs.  
  
"We should have a big party now you know, all of us up here, I'll break out the good wine, we can get a musician or two, upset all my neighbours when someone starts shouting in the small hours-"  
  
"Is that a human thing?"  
  
"It might be a Hawke thing, celebrating having a new home, I think my parents did it because they felt guilty at having to move us so often, it wasn't just as bad when it was just me, or so mother said, I wasn't a mage but then after Bethany's magic appeared, life changed." Luce never sounds angry or put-upon when she talks about looking after her little sister and Merrill's sure that's one of the reasons she fell in love with her. Luce's a good person, not always, she tells bad jokes that sometimes hurt people without meaning, she does kill an awful lot of people and things but they're either bad or they attack her and she has no choice and she's as bad as Isabela for fiddling with locks but she does try very hard to be good. She cares. She doesn't judge.  
  
The last friend Merrill had like that was Mahariel and all she knows is that she became the Hero of Ferelden then disappeared. Sometimes she's scared Luce will too.  
  
"Won't your neighbours be awfully cross?" She asks at last once they're in Luce's room. Or rather their room. Every room is Luce's and she's said it's equally Merrill's too but this room is even more private, no one else allowed in almost the same way that Leandra Amell's door remains locked and has been ever since her death. "I mean you're…you're you. I heard about what happened when you, Fenris and Isabela all played cards and Varric was sent to come get you all from the cells. How long was it before Aveline even spoke to any of you?"  
  
"Six weeks and three days, give or take," Luce replies immediately with a huge grin on her face. "I don't care about that Merrill, this house hasn't had many good things in a long time and you and me, that's a good thing, that's the _best_ thing," and when Merrill expects more of an explanation and wants to remind Luce that she's moving in a mage and an elf and a Dalish elf at that, Luce's kissing her, clever fingers threading through her hair and stroking up the tips of her ears until Merrill squeaks and squirms away.  
  
"Right, well, should we really be putting some of my things out if you're going to have a party? I mean they're not worth much, not like, well, everything here I suppose, your house is even fancier than the Viscount's Keep! But-"  
  
"But they mean something."  
  
Merrill nods, opening the pack to lift out the halla Luce gave to her so long ago. "Things like this. I'll always be Dalish, no matter what, even if they don't want me there, I had a life and friends and a family and they're just things I want to keep. They're probably a lot safer here than they were before, there are so many thieves all about here and I think even Varric or Sebastian could pick the lock on my door without even trying."  
  
"Well the only person who picks the lock here is Isabela and I think that's just a matter of principle with her more than anything else, after all, all of you have had a key to one of the doors for long enough."  
  
"Is she still sneaking in?"  
  
"To spice up my diary and rifle through things and leave crude carvings? Yes."  
  
Merrill laughs. Once she'd been embarrassed and jealous about Luce and Isabela, thinking that Luce would want someone more like her – Luce isn't from Rivain but her father was and she's been so many places, she fights with two blades, she likes to sing the same bawdy songs that make Merrill blush – but they're friends, best friends, but Merrill is the one she wants and sometimes she feels silly getting worked up over it but she can't imagine not having Luce in her life.  
  
"So, shall we?" Luce asks, hopping to her feet as gestures expansively to the room and Merrill was scared she'd feel out of place here, the very last step, all her handmade knickknacks from her old life about to be scattered about amidst all the oddities and lavish bits and bobs of gold and jewels that Luce has but she feels like she belongs and in the end, she sets the bag down and pulls Luce to the bed instead.  
  
It turns out that Isabela was right again, it's a lot more fun to decorate in your underthings.


End file.
